Gourmet Chocolate Cake - boiling water

Method

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or three 9" round cake pans) and dust with flour.
• In a small bowl, whisk the boiling water into cocoa until smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
• In a large bowl or on parchment paper, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
• In another large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter should be very light and fluffy.
• Fold 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg, butter and sugar mixture. When combined, fold in 1/3 of the chocolate mixture. Repeat these steps, alternating between the flour mixture and the chocolate mixture, until everything is folded together. By folding the flour in instead of beating it, you will develop the gluten less and have a more tender cake crumb.
• Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. If using more than one pan, bake the pans in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching them mid-way between baking. If using just one pan, bake in the middle of the oven and rotate the ban mid-way through baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes if using three 9" pans, and 30-40 minutes if using a 9 x 13" pan; or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto racks to cool completely.